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Chapter 6 - Into The Cold (CF)
Tubba had agreed to exactly what the Byrnt Port mayor wanted him to do. He was a Clubba, built for hard, manual labour, and the offer of currency was too good to pass up. When a shipment of crops and other foodstuffs arrived into Byrnt Port on the SS Wiffler from agricultural places in the Waffle Kingdom, Tubba was to help assist the transport of the heavy boxes out from the hold. What he hadn't expected was that the mayor of Byrnt Port had already made his decision on him, contrary to what he had displayed on the port. The signs of aggression to the Bandit was too much for the mayor, and he had already decided to get rid of Tubba. So, when Tubba was in the hold, preparing to move box after box out of the SS Wiffler and onto the concrete spurs that was Byrnt Port, the Captain of the SS Wiffler slammed the heavy metal door to the hold shut, shrouding the hold in darkness. Tubba had initially shouted questioningly for the Captan, wondering what was going on, but when he received no response, he realized exactly what was happening. Tubba dashed at the door, attempting to break it open with his prodigious weight, but the door did not even bend. Tubba roared in fury, but the door was unrelenting and as rigid as always, so Tubba only succeeded in hurting his shoulder as he continued pounding away at the door. It was then he received a response. "We're not incompetent, Tubba Blubba. We know exactly who you are!" It was the mayor of Byrnt Port. Tubba had stopped to listen, his breath coming in heavy gasps as he controlled his ire and caught his breath from his desperate escape attempt. "You're facing the music in the Mushroom Kingdom, Blubby!" Tubba let out a shout of anger, pounding the door with his fists, but once again, it was unyielding to his desperate desires. A stone of anxiety was sinking in his belly, but it was immediately swept up by the storm of outrage and injustice. Tubba had let out another wordless bellow of bloodcurdling choler, and the smug response he received from the Captain of the SS Wiffler made him want to tear himself apart. "I knew he was aggressive." Tubba pounded against the metal door in response, attempted to dent the firm wood the hold was made out of as he felt the ship began to push off to sea, he heaved boxes full of carrots, potatoes and other crops against the walls or at the door. Nothing worked. Eventually, Tubba resigned to his fate. He stopped pounding on the walls of the hold to find an escape route, for the hold was inescapable. It was a rather spacious room, and he still had plenty of boxes full of food untouched by his anger. He silently sat down in the darkness, letting his arms flail out in acquiescence, accepting that brutal rage because of his superior strength would no longer get him anywhere, as he could hear the ship blazing far, far away from Byrnt Port. Mentally, he began plotting out the geography of the Mushroom World, and the likely route the ship was going. Their location on the Waffle Kingdom was north geographically - being about the same latitude as Sarasaland, yet was the southernmost point of the Waffle Kingdom. Byrnt Port was across the southern edge, sticking out into the Trickling Strait, a strait that separated the two continents of the Waffle Kingdom by about an hour by boat. It was about equi-distance to the Mushroom Kingdom by either going south into the international Mushroom Ocean and reaching western port cities such as Mushroom City, or go north through the Trickling Strait, around the top of the Waffle Kingdom and then into northern port cities in Pipe Land. Tubba could not fathom which route the Captain would decide to take, so he decided for a plan for both areas. If they landed at Pipe Land, he would look for a pipe to take him to the old Clubba Kingdom. Even though the Clubba "Ward" of the Koopa Kingdom was ruled by Mazette and his half-sister Clubbette in a sharing of power, he would be able to stir up a nationalistic fervor in the very heart of Clubban pride. While they may have accepted a life into the Koopa Kingdom, Tubba knew that he would be able to stir the pot and lead the protest for Clubban independence. Should they be at Mushroom City, it would become much more difficult for Tubba. Still, the plan would be to escape the city and head into the rural areas as soon as possible, and then head north toward where Clubban settlements would be, and once again lead the movement for independence. There were very few Clubban settlements in the Mushroom Kingdom nowadays, and they were primarily in Ice Land, forcing him to travel northwards on the road less travelled. Tubba faded in and out of consciousness as the travel continued. There was no point staying awake when to stay awake would be meaningless. Being a Clubba, he was blessed with the unique ability to be able to sleep almost everywhere. All he could do was wait for the destination, then, and only then, would he be able to fight once again. But, just like the sole star burning brightly amid the clouded sky, Tubba would not concede the fight. He knew that much. He would never give up the fight for Clubban independence. They were the strongest species in the world and deserved their freedom. He was unaware of how many days had passed. Occassionally, he would awake with pangs of hunger in his stomach, but he would merely roll over to the nearest carrot or potato and shove it in his mouth. Life was shrouded in eternal night, for he hadn't seen the sun since entering the ship, except for occassional cracks in the hull. Tubba entered a phase in which he was all but hibernating and eating, and rarely fully conscious, as the days molded into one. A loud thud sounded above decks, following by shouting voices, rousing Tubba from the stupor he had slipped into. For the first time in what had likely been weeks, Tubba felt fully conscious. Rising to his feet, Tubba staggered as his feet learned how to walk after days upon days of disuse. Tubba walked unsteadily to the door and pressed his internal ear against it, hearing clear, gruff voices from the higher decks of the SS Wiffler. "Loot the ship, boys! These Wafflians shouldn't have wandered into our territory!" The voice crowed, and Tubba heard roars of agreement from a crowd of people. ''Pirates. ''Tubba realized, bracing his unsteady legs and reaching up and grabbing Karubba's club from the floor, where it had lain since he had originally been trapped in the hold. Pirates were unpredictable; thus, Tubba could not be sure if they adhered to the "enemy of my enemy is my friend," policy. If they did, he would be well-placed, since they clearly didn't agree with the Wafflian crew of the SS Wiffler. Tubba heard the sounds of heavy feet thumping down the levels of the ship, and knew that they would surely storm into the hold sooner rather than later. Sprinting away from the door and across the room to gain feeling in his legs and to get his adrenaline pumping, because if the pirates elected not to be friendly, there was often only one other solution with them. Spinning and glaring at the door, bracing his grandfather's club, Tubba heard the steps draw closer and closer, with the sounds of a scuffle and baritone voices proclaiming their victory arrogantly. These definitely sounded like the "fight or die" kind of pirates to Tubba. A prickling of fear crept up his spine, but he pushed it down, ignoring the feeling of being stuck between a rock and a hard place. Heavy step after heavy step, Tubba heard one of the pirates march up to the door of the hold, snarl: "Let's loot 'em, mates!" Dazzling light spilled across the room, forcing Tubba to close his eyes in pain. Shielding his eyes with his free left hand, he cracked open one eye a slit to see a hulking figure storming across the room toward him. A tail was waving, the upper body was chiseled, and a snout with many sharp teeth were details Tubba could make out. Tubba was prepared to swing if the pirate came close, but to his surprise, he barely discerned that the pirate had halted. "Tubba?" The voice was incredulous, and Tubba instantly realized who the pirate was, sending relief flowing through every part of his body. Relaxing his grip on his club, Tubba let his muscles sag. "Kremstag. Oh, thank Cloansar." "Fancy meeting you here," the shape that was Kremstag grunted. "Welcome to the arctic."